Top Scholar

Chapter 292: The Episode with the Most Respect for the Father-in-Law

"Hey, speak of the devil and he appears!" Huang Feng exclaimed in disbelief, "They wouldn't actually be here to arrange a marriage for that kid, would they?"

"It's hard to say," Huang Ke said. "Please come in."

The maidservant quickly removed the tea set and snacks.

While the steward was calling for people, Huang Feng finally couldn't hold back and said, "Father, if they really are matchmakers, just say that my sister is already engaged."

"Nonsense!" Huang Ke's expression changed drastically. "When did your sister get engaged? How can you smear your own sister?"

"Then what is Yang Yongxiu doing here? Isn't he here for a blind date?" Huang Feng retorted.

"Blind dates can sometimes fail," Huang Ke said in a muffled voice. "Like that Miss Zhu, she's been on over ten blind dates, and hasn't had a single one that worked out, has she?"

"That's because Master Zhu spoiled her too much. Marriage is arranged by parents and matchmakers, how can the children have a say?" Huang Feng said emphatically.

"Shut up!" Huang Ke glared at him fiercely.

At this moment, the two prefectural governors had arrived outside the door. Huang Ke hurriedly went to the door to greet them. After exchanging greetings, they went inside to be served tea.

Huang Ke remained seated in the main seat and asked with a gentle tone, "Why have you two come together?"

"I have come to bid farewell to the Military Governor," said Prefect Jia. "I will be setting off for my hometown tomorrow, but I cannot leave without saying goodbye, so I have taken the liberty of coming to pay my respects."

"Haha, my dear brother, you are so thoughtful. I had planned to see you off tomorrow, but I have so many things to do before you leave, there was no need for me to make a special trip," Huang Ke said with a smile.

“The Military Commissioner is my superior and senior, it’s only right,” Prefect Jia said with a smile.

“But you retired first,” Huang Ke said enviously. “Lord Lu and I are still struggling in this cage.”

"I'm ashamed. I left in a good mood, but I've left you two with a huge mess," Magistrate Jia said apologetically.

"Official business is never-ending, but the time to take care of your elderly mother is limited." Huang Ke said understandingly, "Just go back to your hometown with peace of mind, and don't worry about things in Luzhou anymore."

"Thank you for your understanding, Military Governor." Prefect Jia clasped his hands in gratitude and said, "But it's impossible not to worry. I had many things to tell Prefect Lu before I came down here."

As he spoke, he looked at Lu Zhaoye and said, "There is only one thing I am worried about right now, so I came with Prefect Lu to act as matchmakers for you, Military Governor."

"Here we go again..." Huang Feng couldn't help but mutter.

Huang Ke was also a little flustered, but fortunately, he was very good at maintaining his composure and asked casually, "What matchmaking?"

"May I ask, Your Excellency, is your daughter betrothed?" asked Prefect Lu respectfully.

Huang Feng mentally cursed, "Good grief, they didn't even change the words..."

Huang Ke's forehead veins throbbed, and he was momentarily speechless.

"Is it inconvenient to say?" Magistrate Jia asked.

"Convenient." Huang Ke finally snapped out of her daze and mechanically replied, "My daughter is still unmarried..."

"That's wonderful!" Prefect Lu said happily. "I have a beloved disciple named Su Lu, Su Hongzhi. Your Excellency, you must have heard of him, right?"

"He is also my beloved student," Prefect Jia added. "This child is the first person in Luzhou's history to achieve the 'Triple Crown' (a prestigious honor in the imperial examinations). He and your daughter are a perfect match, both in terms of talent and appearance. Although their family background is slightly inferior, his talent is unparalleled in southern Sichuan, and he will surely rise to great heights in the future."

Prefect Lu chimed in, "Such a perfect son-in-law is extremely rare; how could Your Excellency, the Military Commissioner, bear to let such a fine match slip away?"

"Alright, you two, I just heard these words..." Huang Bingxian finally couldn't stand it anymore and raised his hand to stop them from reciting their lines, saying, "Before you came, the heads of the Wang, Bai, Zhu, Lei, and Deng families, along with Zhu Gangshan, had already joined forces to act as matchmakers for that kid."

"Really?" the two said regretfully, "We're a step too late."

"You guys are the reinforcements that kid brought, right?" Huang Bingxian asked.

"Yes." The two prefects nodded in unison.

"Heh..." Huang Bingxian sneered, "He really is incredibly resourceful, managing to get two old patriarchs to act as matchmakers for him."

"Doesn't this just show that he considers this marriage the most important thing in his life?" Both prefects were eloquent and had their own reasons for their arguments.

"He only went to great lengths to invite matchmakers he could because he was afraid that the military commissioner would not agree."

"The main thing is that this child is really good..." Governor Lu said with emotion, "I watched him come up from the mountains step by step. Wherever he goes, he shines and is second to none. I believe that in a few years, he will be famous throughout the country and become a pillar of the nation!"

He sighed and said, "If it weren't for the cruel twist of fate, and the late emperor's early passing, he would already be famous throughout the land."

"Hmm." Huang Bingxian nodded, not denying it, and said seriously, "What I just said to the six matchmakers, I can relay to you two verbatim—'This is a matter of great importance; allow me to think it over carefully, and also ask my daughter's opinion.'"

"Of course." The two nodded, and Prefect Lu said, "Then I will come to hear from you again in a few days."

"I am also waiting for good news in my hometown." Prefect Jia said sincerely, "Soldier, although parents may arrange marriages, it is ultimately the couple who live their lives together—it is easy to find a priceless treasure, but hard to find a loving husband!"

“Yes, the military commissioner,” Prefect Lu replied sincerely, “and my disciple himself is priceless!”

"Yes, that's right!" Prefect Jia nodded emphatically, "My disciple will never lose to anyone!" "Very well, I've taken your wise words to heart." Huang Ke could naturally tell the difference between official jargon and heartfelt words.

That guy is quite something to be able to get two seasoned bureaucrats to open up to each other like this...

The three chatted about official business for a while longer before the two prefects got up to take their leave.

As Huang Bingxian returned after seeing his guests off, he heard Huang Feng angrily say, "This is no ordinary marriage proposal; it's blatant provocation! He's forcing my father to give in!"

"..." Huang Ke remained silent. His feelings were very complicated; he was extremely displeased, yet he also greatly admired Su Lu's actions.

"That kid is too wicked. He deliberately wanted to make a scene and ruin my sister's marriage with Yongxiu!" Huang Feng kept muttering.

“Possibly.” Huang Ke slowly sat down, his expression inscrutable. “But he’s also gone all in. If he can’t marry your sister, it will be hard for him to back down. That’s the only way to honor your sister’s persistence…”

"Father, please don't waver!" Huang Feng said urgently upon seeing this, "Uncle Yang will be joining the cabinet soon!"

"Have you considered your sister?" Huang Ke countered.

"..." Huang Feng couldn't help but feel ashamed.

He knew that his sister and Su Lu were a good match. But the problem was that no matter how outstanding Su Lu was, he was still a sixteen-year-old boy, and he wouldn't become a Grand Scholar even in twenty years, so he wouldn't be of any help to his father.

Huang Feng was a poor student and could only hope that his father would become successful, which is why he was determined to break up the marriage and marry his sister into the Yang family...

"If we let him succeed, things will be even more difficult for us to handle!"

“Refusing him would be just as difficult to resolve—Brother Gangshan’s friendship, the face of the five major families, and the favors of the two prefects, all add up to an immense weight.” Huang Ke sighed.

"That's not enough! What five great family heads, what two great prefects, they're all Father's subordinates!" Seeing that his father's stance had clearly softened, Huang Feng said anxiously, his face turning red, "If you're so capable, find someone with a higher rank than Father!"

"Master," the steward announced for the third time, "Quickly go out and greet them, the old scholar and the Grandmaster have arrived..."

"Hehe." Huang Bingxian couldn't help but laugh, giving his son a thumbs up. His words were truly law.

"Pfft..." Huang Feng almost vomited blood and slapped himself hard in the mouth.

"Quickly open the middle door, the main hall is for receiving guests!" Huang Bingxian hurried to the main entrance to greet them.

Not only was the esteemed scholar Pang highly respected, but he also held the official position of Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice in Nanjing, making him a figure of great authority in Luzhou. Military Commissioner Huang, Prefect Jia, and Commander Han would all pay him a visit during festivals.

Although Xiao Tixue was also a deputy provincial inspector, he was an imperial envoy appointed from the Hanlin Academy and was the fourth-ranking official in the province, with a much higher rank than him.

The arrival of the two bigwigs together threw the entire military affairs office into chaos.

Huang Bingxian opened the main gate wide and led his subordinates to bow respectfully to the two men.

"Welcome, Elder! Welcome, Grandmaster!"

"Hehehe..." The white-haired, plump headmaster, supported by Xiao Tixue, shakily stepped down from the sedan chair and smiled at Huang Bingxian, "Bingxian, there's no need to make such a fuss. Let them all go about their business."

"Yes, I heard that Commander Huang is on leave today, so I accompanied the senior to come here." Xiao Tixue was also dressed in casual clothes, clearly not for official business.

"Yes." Huang Ke hurriedly ordered the officials to disperse as instructed, and then, together with Xiao Tixue, he helped Pang Shanzhang into the yamen.

"This is the first time that you have graced our humble abode with your presence," Huang Ke said, flattered.

"Hehe, this old man is just a commoner now, how can I go to the yamen and be disliked again?" the old headmaster laughed. "But there's no way around it this time, since your house is right inside the yamen."

"If you have any instructions, please just have me come over," Huang Ke said hastily. "There's no need for you to come in person."

“Well, this time we must visit in person.” The old mountain chief laughed, “Who invites someone to their home to act as a matchmaker? That’s just too insincere.”

"Hehe, no wonder the magpies are chirping today." Huang Ke was already numb; he would be surprised if the two of them came to do something else. So he looked at Xiao Tixue and said:

"Grandmasters are so busy with their exams, yet they still have time to arrange marriages?"

"Ah, all three exams in Luzhou are over, and I won't be going to Chongqing until tomorrow." Xiao Tixue said with a smile, "I had some free time today, so I went to visit the old master, and I happened to run into him who was coming to arrange a marriage for his disciple."

He paused for a moment, then emphasized, "It just so happens that he is also a disciple of our academy, so I came along."

“I told you you didn’t need to make a special trip,” Pang Shanchang patted Xiao Tixue on the shoulder and laughed, “but he said it was also a way of showing care for the students, so I couldn’t stop him.”

"Yes," Xiao Tixue said with a smile, "Since the senior has taken action, if I don't go along, wouldn't Hongzhi complain about me?"

"Haha, he wouldn't dare!" Pang Shan laughed loudly, "Otherwise I'll spank him!"

"Hehe..." Huang Ke smiled ingratiatingly, thinking to herself that Su Hongzhi wouldn't complain about her now, but she could wait for Yang Yongxiu to complain.

P.S. Due to well-known reasons, my eyes are inflamed and my eyelids are swollen, so I can't see the screen clearly. The next chapter will be a little late...

(End of this chapter)